Insulated shipping container

ABSTRACT

An insulated shipping container includes an exterior housing; an interior sleeve; and an intermediate insulating portion, wherein the intermediate insulating portion includes an open cell core material having at least about 95% open cell and a metalized barrier material sealed about the core material in an airtight manner, with a reduced pressure atmosphere in the intermediate portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/367,226, filed in the United States on Mar. 25, 2002,the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates, generally, to shipping containers,and more particularly, to insulated shipping containers, as may be usedfor the shipping of various temperature-sensitive products by regularmail or other like delivery services.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] With the rapid worldwide growth in the demand for the shipmentand handling of temperature sensitive products, such as blood, gourmetfood products, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, bioengineered products and thelike, the need for more thermally efficient shipping containerscontinues to increase dramatically. Particularly with the increase ofe-commerce, many companies need thermally efficient shipping containersfor shipping such products through inexpensive modes of transportation,such as regular U.S. Mail, directly to the end user.

[0006] In designing and manufacturing insulated shipping containers,various factors must be considered, including weight, size anddurability. Since many of the products must be shipped at greatdistances by rail, truck or air travel, the designers of thesecontainers must strive to keep the weight of these containers at aminimum and yet still provide sufficient protection of the goods at thedesired temperature for extended periods, e.g., by providing containerswith a sufficiently thick layer of insulation, such as polyurethane andthe like. In addition, due to the volume of the goods to be shipped, aswell as limitations in available cargo space, the size and configurationof the shipping container must be optimized to maintain the desiredtemperature and yet minimize the area required for storage.

[0007] As a result of these factors, many of today's shipping containersutilize combinations of inexpensive paperboard boxes and more costlyfoam insulating materials, such as, for example, polyurethane,polystyrene or the like. Although these materials combine to provide alow-cost insulating container, because these materials typically attemptto trap gases to reduce heat transfer, these materials typically providea low insulation value, such as R-7 or lower. Furthermore, thesecharacteristics of prior art materials require thicker materials to beutilized, thus resulting in bigger and bulkier containers in an attemptto compensate for these thermal inefficiencies. Accordingly, streamlinedshipping containers which provide both effective thermal protection andsmaller outer dimensions are not currently available for mail-orderapplications.

[0008] With reference to FIG. 1, a prior art shipping container fortransporting temperature sensitive materials is shown. Typically, suchprior art containers include a exterior protective surface and end capor lid comprised of cardboard materials and the like. The exteriorsurface is typically configured with an interior lining for containingthe temperature sensitive products. In addition, an insulation materialis encapsulated between the exterior protective housing and the interiorlining.

[0009] This insulating material is typically bonded to the exteriorhousing and comprises low efficiency types of insulating material. Forexample, the insulating material generally includes expanded polystyreneor polyurethane and the like which provide a thermal efficiency value,or R-Value, of between 4.0 and 7.2 per inch. As a result, the shippingconstraints for prior art shipping containers require thetemperature-sensitive products contained within to be shipped within 24to 48 hours, thus limiting the free use of regular U.S. Mail fortransportation, which can take four or five days for delivery. Instead,prior art shipping containers typically require more expensive modes oftransportation to be utilized, such as Federal Express Next or SecondDay service or UPS Red or Blue services, among others.

[0010] Moreover, due to the inefficiencies of prior art containers,temperature sensitive products frequently require refrigerated or heatedtrucks or vehicles for transport. Furthermore, as regulatory agenciescontinue to enact more stringent regulations for the temperature controlof perishable and other temperature-sensitive goods, the need for morereliable and efficient insulating materials continues to grow.

[0011] Accordingly, a need exists for a shipping container fortemperature sensitive products which provides more efficient thermalprotection, such as a high R-value, for example, of 20 or more, andwhich can permit lower cost methods of transportation to be utilized,such as regular U.S. Mail or other four- to five-day delivery services.Furthermore, a need exists for an insulated shipping container that isstreamlined and less bulky than prior art containers to provide for theeffective use of cargo space during transporting of thetemperature-sensitive goods.

SUMMARY

[0012] A vacuum insulation panel according to the present inventionaddresses many of the shortcomings of the prior art. In accordance withthe present invention, an insulated shipping container is provided thatmay be utilized for mail-order applications, such as the shipment ofdrugs and specialty food products.

[0013] An exemplary container may comprise an exterior protectivehousing that provides protection for an insulated portion from theenvironment, e.g., from shipping and handling damages. Although theinsulated portion comprises various forms of insulated materials,preferably a vacuum-insulated panel (VIP) configuration is utilized. Theinsulated portion includes an insulated cap or lid. In addition, theexemplary container may also include an interior protective sleeve ortube for encasing the temperature sensitive products, e.g.,pharmaceuticals or vaccines. Further, a refrigerant, a heat source, orother temperature stabilizing material may be placed within or betweenthe interior sleeve and the insulated portion, with the refrigerant,heat source, or temperature stabilizing material and the sleeve beingsealed within the insulated portion by the cap. Thereafter, theinsulated portion and the sleeve may be placed within the exteriorhousing and enclosed with the housing end cap.

[0014] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, aninsulated shipping container comprises an exterior housing; an interiorsleeve; and an intermediate insulating portion, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion has an R value of about 20 or greater.

[0015] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, aninsulated shipping container comprises an exterior housing; an interiorsleeve; and an intermediate insulating portion, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion includes a core material and a barrier materialsealed about the core material in an airtight manner.

[0016] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, aninsulated shipping container comprises an exterior housing; an interiorsleeve; and an intermediate insulating portion, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion includes an open cell core material comprising atleast about 95% open cell and a metalized barrier material sealed aboutthe core material in an airtight manner, with a reduced pressureatmosphere in the intermediate portion.

[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,particularly for the VIP application, the insulated portion may comprisea vacuum detection indicator. The vacuum detection indicator isconfigured to facilitate the evaluation of the integrity of the vacuumwithin the vacuum insulation panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The present invention will be hereinafter described inconjunction with the appended drawing figures, wherein like designationsdenote like elements, and:

[0019]FIG. 1 is a view of a conventional art shipping container;

[0020]FIG. 2 is a view of an exemplary insulated shipping container inaccordance with the present invention; and

[0021]FIG. 3 is a view of various exemplary embodiments of the containerin FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention may be described hereinin terms of various types of materials and processing steps. It shouldbe appreciated that such materials and steps may be realized by anynumber of components configured to perform the specified functions. Forexample, the embodiments of the present invention may employ variousinsulating materials, wrapping materials, labels, end cap connectors andthe like, which may carry out a variety of functions. In addition, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the presentinvention may be practiced in any number of shipping contexts and thatthe embodiments relating to an insulated shipping container formail-order applications, as described herein, is merely one exemplaryapplication of the invention. For example, the principles, features andmethods discussed may be applied to any shipping application whereintemperature-sensitive products are to be transported. Further, suchgeneral techniques that may be known to those skilled in the art are notdescribed in detail herein.

[0023] As discussed above, many temperature-sensitive products, such asdrugs and vaccines, currently have to be kept refrigerated and thus aretransported on large refrigerator trucks to pharmacies and hospitals.Furthermore, current containers for drugs do not lend themselves tobeing shipped directly from the drug manufacturer to the patient viaregular U.S. Mail or other four or five day delivery services.

[0024] However, in accordance with the present invention, an improvedshipping container can be provided for facilitating the shipment oftemperature sensitive products directly from the supplier to the enduser by use of low-cost transportation services.

[0025] With reference to FIG. 2, an exemplary insulated shippingcontainer 200 comprises an exterior housing 202, an insulated portion208 and an interior sleeve 214. Exterior housing 202 includes an openend 204 and an end cap or lid 203, and is configured for providingprotection for the insulated portion 208 from the environment, e.g.,from shipping and handling damages. Exterior housing 202 and end cap 203may comprise various materials, such as, for example, fiberboard,cardboard, metals or plastics and the like, which are suitablyconfigured for protection of the insulated portion 208. Further,exterior housing 202 and end cap 203 suitably include a means forconnecting together, such as threaded engagement portions 205 and 206,or by any other suitable means now known or hereinafter devised, such aspress-fitting, clasping, fastening or other similar arrangements. Inaddition, it is preferable for cap 203 and housing 202 to be connectedin a tamper-proof manner to prevent easy or unintentional opening ofhousing 202.

[0026] Insulated portion 208 suitably comprises various forms ofinsulated materials, such as polyurethane, polystyrene, and othersimilar materials. Preferably, insulated portion 208 comprises avacuum-insulated-panel (VIP) configuration. Insulated portion 208 mayalso be comprised of a single component, i.e., one insulating materialor one vacuum insulating panel, or of a plurality of components,configured in the desired shape to suitably contain interior sleeve 214.In addition, insulated portion 208 suitably includes an insulated endcap 212. Further, insulated portion 208 suitably includes an opening 210configured for the interior sleeve 214. In accordance with this aspect,insulated portion 208 may also be configured to contain a refrigerant,such as ice, dry ice or other refrigerants, or to contain a heat sourceor other temperature stabilizing material, with or without packagingaround the refrigerants or heat source, to provide additional insulatedcooling or heating to the temperature sensitive products.

[0027] In addition, the exemplary container may also include an interiorprotective sleeve 214 having an opening 216 for encasing the temperaturesensitive products. Interior sleeve 214 comprises a tube, container orliner and the like suitably configured to contain dry, solid or liquidmaterials, e.g., pills or liquids. The interior sleeve 214 may be madefrom plastic, cardboard, or any other suitable material. Further, inaddition to, or instead of, the placement of a refrigerant, heat source,or other temperature stabilizing material within opening 210 ofinsulated portion 208, the refrigerant or heat source may be placedwithin interior sleeve 214 and sealed within interior sleeve 214 by anassociated end cap (not shown). Moreover, interior sleeve 214 issuitably provided with an exterior surface which serves as a liner toprotects the inner area of insulated portion 208 from being punctured ordamaged.

[0028] Upon enclosing of the temperature sensitive products withininterior sleeve 214 and its associated end cap, interior sleeve 214 maybe suitably placed within insulated portion 208. Upon closure byinsulated end cap 212, both sleeve 214 and insulated portion 208 may besuitably placed within exterior housing 202 and enclosed with end cap203. In addition, although shown as separate components, i.e., eachcomponent being capable of removal, re-use or replacement, exteriorhousing 202, insulated portion 208 and interior sleeve 214 could beconfigured together, such as by bonding, adhesion or other like manners.

[0029] Although insulated portion 208 may comprise various materials, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,insulated portion 208 preferably comprises a vacuum insulation panelconfiguration. In accordance with this embodiment, insulated portion 208comprises a barrier material and a core material configured to providean R-value of 20 or more, for example, 25 to 30 per inch. The barriermaterial preferably comprises a thin, flexible, film-like material, suchas, for example, a metal foil or metalized film laminate, e.g., ametalized polymer or polymeric structure, or a non-metallic structure.Moreover, the barrier material is preferably configured to suitablyencapsulate the core material and facilitate the maintaining of a vacuumwithin.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the walls of the insulated portionare between ½ to 1 ½ inches thick, preferably about 1 inch thick.

[0031] Preferably, the core material comprises an open-cell corematerial, such as, for example, an open-cell polystyrene or polyurethanefoam and the like, or silica or aerogel, suitably configured tofacilitate the drawing of a vacuum area between the barrier material andthe core material. In accordance with this aspect, the core material ispreferably configured to provide greater than 95% open-cell, and mostpreferably approximating 99% or greater open-cell material. Preferably,the core material comprises a substantially rigid material, but may alsoinclude more flexible compositions.

[0032] Although an exemplary embodiment for an insulated portioncomprising a vacuum insulating panel is described, the insulated panelcan also comprise any other means now known or hereinafter devised forproviding a thermal protection factor, i.e., an R-Value, of 20 or more.Furthermore, any known method for providing a vacuum insulating panel ormaterial may be utilized in accordance with the present invention, andthe exemplary embodiment described above is merely for illustrationpurposes.

[0033] Although the vacuum insulation panels are durable, often lastingtwo years or more, the barrier film can be susceptible to deterioration,puncture, tear and other wear that can cause insulated portion 208 tolose the vacuum within the barrier film and thus become inefficient forcritical temperature applications. Although a detailed visual inspectionmay lead an evaluator of the panels to a determination as to theintegrity of the vacuum within the panel, generally only the largelyvisible punctures or tears may be visible. Further, because various ofthe defects are not readily detectable, damaged vacuum insulation panelscurrently have the potential to be reused, and thus the potentialexposure to the environment for the temperature-sensitive goods isincreased. Accordingly, by providing a determination of whether thevacuum is maintained within the vacuum insulation panel, the integrityand thermal efficiency of the vacuum insulation panel can be evaluated.Thus, in accordance with another embodiment of insulated portion 208,the core material may be configured with a vacuum detection indiciavisually apparent when a vacuum is drawn within the vacuum insulationpanel, such as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/241,867,assigned to Applicant, and filed Sep. 12, 2002.

[0034] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention,exemplary shipping container 200 may comprise various shapes. Forexample, with reference to FIG. 3, shipping container 200 may comprise acylindrical shape 306, a semi-circular shape 302, or a rectangular shape304. Accordingly, any shape configured for containing insulated portion208 and interior sleeve 214 may be utilized. Further, insulated portion208 and interior sleeve 214 may comprise any suitable shapes. Moreover,exterior housing 202, insulated portion 208 and interior sleeve 214 maycomprise the same or different shapes, depending on different designcriteria.

[0035] An objective of one embodiment of the present invention is toprovide a package that can be easily shipped through the U.S. mail.Accordingly, it is preferred that no dimensions of the outer containerexceed twenty inches. And, preferably, a maximum dimension of thecontainer shall be smaller than twelve inches. According to oneembodiment, the container shall fit in an enclosure of twelve inches bysix inches by six inches.

[0036] The present invention has been described above with reference tovarious preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that changes and modifications may be made to the variouspreferred embodiments without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, rather than providing a threaded-likearrangement for the various end caps, any means for securely engaging anend cap may be utilized. Further, each of the end caps or lids may usesimilar or different means for enclosing onto their respective containerportions. Accordingly, these and other changes or modifications areintended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An insulated shipping container comprising: anexterior housing; an interior sleeve; and an intermediate insulatingportion, wherein the intermediate insulating portion has an R value ofabout 20 or greater.
 2. The insulated shipping container of claim 1,wherein the exterior housing is made of a rigid material.
 3. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein the exterior housing ismade of cardboard.
 4. The insulated shipping container of claim 1,wherein the exterior housing is made of one of fiberboard, metal andplastic.
 5. The insulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein theexterior housing includes a cap with threads or clasps for opening andreclosing.
 6. The insulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein theintermediate insulating portion has an R value of at least
 20. 7. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion has an R value between 25 to 30 per inch.
 8. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion includes a core material and a barrier materialsealed about the core material in an airtight manner.
 9. The insulatedshipping container of claim 8, wherein the barrier material is a metalfoil or a metalized film laminate.
 10. The insulated shipping containerof claim 8, wherein the core material is an open cell material.
 11. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 10, wherein the core material isan open-cell polystyrene or polyurethane foam.
 12. The insulatedshipping container of claim 1, wherein the intermediate insulatingportion includes a reduced pressure therein to enhance insulatingproperties thereof.
 13. The insulated shipping container of claim 12,further comprising a vacuum detection indicia to indicate when there isa reduced pressure within the intermediate insulating portion.
 14. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 1, wherein a largest exteriordimension of the container is 20 inches.
 15. The insulated shippingcontainer of claim 8, wherein the interior sleeve is made of a rigidplastic material.
 16. An insulated shipping container comprising: anexterior housing; an interior sleeve; and an intermediate insulatingportion, wherein the intermediate insulating portion includes a corematerial and a barrier material sealed about the core material in anairtight manner.
 17. The insulated shipping container of claim 16,wherein the exterior housing is made of a rigid material.
 18. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein the exterior housingis made of cardboard.
 19. The insulated shipping container of claim 16,wherein the exterior housing is made of one of fiberboard, metal andplastic.
 20. The insulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein theexterior housing includes a cap with threads or clasps for opening andreclosing.
 21. The insulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein theintermediate insulating portion has an R value of at least
 20. 22. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion has an R value between 25 to 30 per inch.
 23. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein the barrier materialis a metal foil or a metalized film laminate.
 24. The insulated shippingcontainer of claim 16, wherein the core material is an open cellmaterial.
 25. The insulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein thecore material is an open-cell polystyrene or polyurethane foam.
 26. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion includes a reduced pressure therein to enhanceinsulating properties thereof.
 27. The insulated shipping container ofclaim 26, further comprising a vacuum detection indicia to indicate whenthere is a reduced pressure within the intermediate insulating portion.28. The insulated shipping container of claim 16, wherein a largestexterior dimension of the container is 20 inches.
 29. The insulatedshipping container of claim 16, wherein the interior sleeve is made of arigid plastic material.
 30. An insulated shipping container comprising:an exterior housing; an interior sleeve; and an intermediate insulatingportion, wherein the intermediate insulating portion includes an opencell core material comprising at least about 95% open cell and ametalized barrier material sealed about the core material in an airtightmanner, with a reduced pressure atmosphere in the intermediate portion.31. The insulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein the exteriorhousing is made of a rigid material.
 32. The insulated shippingcontainer of claim 30, wherein the exterior housing is made ofcardboard.
 33. The insulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein theexterior housing is made of one of fiberboard, metal and plastic. 34.The insulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein the exteriorhousing includes a cap with threads or clasps for opening and reclosing.35. The insulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein theintermediate insulating portion has an R value of at least
 20. 36. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein the intermediateinsulating portion has an R value between 25 to 30 per inch.
 37. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein the core material isan open-cell polystyrene or polyurethane foam.
 38. The insulatedshipping container of claim 30, wherein the intermediate insulatingportion includes a reduced pressure therein to enhance insulatingproperties thereof.
 39. The insulated shipping container of claim 38,further comprising a vacuum detection indicia to indicate when there isa reduced pressure within the intermediate insulating portion.
 40. Theinsulated shipping container of claim 30, wherein a largest exteriordimension of the container is 20 inches.
 41. The insulated shippingcontainer of claim 30, wherein the interior sleeve is made of a rigidplastic material.
 42. An insulated shipping container comprising: anexterior housing; an interior sleeve; and an intermediate insulatingportion, wherein the intermediate insulating portion has an R value ofabout 20 or greater; wherein outside dimensions of the exterior housingare equal to or less than twelve inches by six inches by six inches.